Joint Special Operations Group Commander Rob Savage said officers with the Etowah County Sheriff's Drug Task Force, JSOG and the Gadsden Police yesterday arrested the four at three different locations in Etowah County - a home on North 9th Street, a Mary Street address in East Gadsden and a home in Attalla.

The four men are:

-Richard Riddle, 35, charged with trafficking cocaine, and three charges of distributing a controlled substance.-Jhavaris Riddle, 26, Richard's brother, charged with distribution of a controlled substance and a probation violation.- Roderick Loyd, 34, charged with receiving stolen property and pistol possession by a violent felon.- Jerome Williams, 30, charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Savage said all the men were armed at the time of their arrests. In addition to the guns, authorities seized a 100-round ammunition drum for an AK-47.

Richard Riddle was in control of the cocaine, which has an estimated street value of about $40,000, Savage said. If it had been converted to crack cocaine, which investigators believe was the group's aim, that value would have increased to about $60,000.

The investigation of the men began about eight to 10 weeks ago. Investigators said the activities of the men had been steadily escalating over the past few weeks, just before the arrests.

"We saw 50 to 60 individuals a day making contact with these people," Savage said. "These are both upper and lower tier individuals. This is a lot of cocaine to be in one spot."

Lloyd is the first person charged in Etowah County under the new gun law which took effect Aug. 1, for a violent felon in possession of a pistol. Other charges are expected, and the men could face federal drug trafficking charges.

Both Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin and Gadsden Police Chief John Crane praised the work of investigators and officers involved in the arrests, and the coordination between them and the FBI's Safe Streets Initiative.

"I think this is a good example of what the drug trade takes away from our community," Crane said. "The drugs themselves take away the dignity of our citizens, and the weapons take away their safety, and I think this is a good example of we're taking it back."